Syria's Kurdish-Led SDF Dissolves, Joins State Army After Deal With Al-Sharaa

Abdi made the announcement after meeting Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, saying the move followed an agreement with the Syrian government and the completion of the integration of SDF forces into brigades of the Syrian army. Reuters and Syria's state-run SANA news agency reported the development.

“We announce today the end of the mission of the Syrian Democratic Forces and announce with full responsibility its dissolution as an independent military force,” Abdi said in a televised statement.

The SDF and the Syrian government agreed in January on a phased process to integrate Kurdish fighters into state institutions. The agreement followed fighting between government forces and the SDF and was described by Washington at the time as a“historic milestone.”

The SDF was formed in 2015 and became the main US-backed Syrian force in the campaign against Islamic State. It subsequently controlled large areas of northeastern and eastern Syria before government forces regained much of the territory during an offensive earlier this year.

The group's dissolution marks a major change in the military and political structure of northeastern Syria, where the SDF had maintained its own armed and security structures for years.

Abdi said al-Sharaa had repeatedly affirmed the right to education in the Kurdish language and expressed support for protecting that right. He also called for a unified Syria that includes Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen and Assyrians.

The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which formed the core of the SDF, had already begun integration into state forces. Reuters reported that YPG commander Sipan Hamo was appointed deputy defense minister for eastern Syria in March.

The integration is part of the Syrian government's broader effort to consolidate state authority after the fall of Bashar al-Assad and end years of fragmented control. The process is also significant for Turkey, which has opposed the presence of the YPG along its border and regards it as a terrorist organization.

MENAFN26082026000228011069ID1111582085